All the Devils' hottest news, from notes to numbers to neutral-zone traps

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Darnell Nurse is the nephew of former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and it’s no secret the Flyers are interested in selecting the Sault Ste. Marie defenseman with the No. 11 pick in Sunday’s NHL Entry Draft – or possibly higher if they can trade up.

So, there were a lot of questions about Philadelphia and what his uncle told him about playing in that market during today’s top prospects media availability in Weehawken.

But, when I asked Nurse about the team he grew up rooting for, he lit up.

“I love the Devils,” he said. “Ever since I was young, they were my favorite team, especially Scott Stevens when they won the Cup. They’ve always been my favorite.”

The Devils happen to own the No. 9 pick in the first round and Scott Stevens happens to be one of their assistant coaches. What would it be like for Nurse if the Devils drafted him Sunday and he got to work every day with Stevens?

“I think when you grow up watching someone, you want to get the opportunity to work with them,” he said. “That would be pretty awesome.”

Although the Devils’ preference remains to pick a forward “all things being equal”, there is no question they are intrigued by some of the big, mobile defensemen available, including Nurse, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, but is still growing. Finland’s Rasmus Ristolainen (6-3, 201), London’s Nikita Zadorov (6-4, 200) and Rimouski’s Samuel Morin (6-6, 202) might also be options for the Devils at No. 9 – if they choose to go that path. (Portland’s Seth Jones, the top rated defenseman, will be long gone.)

“There’s a lot tempting,” Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “There’s a lot of discussions that are going on internally. If there’s a preference, it would certainly be a forward. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to take the best player depending on who’s there.”

There will be some good options for the Devils among the forwards that should be available at No. 9 as well – Medicine Hat’s Hunter Shinkaruk (discussed at length in an earlier post), Max Domi, Alexander Wennberg, Bo Horvat are among the possibilities.

Nurse was among a host of players the Devils interviewed at the draft combine earlier this month in Toronto. Conte doesn’t usually discuss specific players, so when I asked him about Nurse this week, he gave a vague, but somewhat revealing answer.

“I’m not going to name guys, but when you’re an athlete like this (Nurse), like Seth Jones, it’s really hard not to find an attraction to them and he’s not the only one,” Conte said. “There’s a bunch of guys that are 6-4, 6-5, 6-6 that are really good players and exceptional athletes that are just starting to scratch the surface of their potential. So, that is always going to be a consideration. You’re got to do the right thing. And I can’t say that’s not true of some forwards as well. And they’re all interesting, very interesting.”

Whether Nurse will still be available when the Devils make their pick at No. 9 is another question. The Flyers could try to trade up ahead of the Devils. Edmonton, which owns the No. 7 pick, also is believed to be high on Nurse. The Oilers had him come to Edmonton after the draft combine to evaluate him further.

“It was an awesome experience,” Nurse said of going to Edmonton. “It’s good to take in places like that. They have a really good, up and coming team. That’s a good situation for anyone who goes there.”

As a Scott Stevens’ fan, it’s not surprising that Nurse said he “loves to hit.” The current player his compared to is Nashville’s Shea Weber.

“I’ve always compared him to Shea Weber,” director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr said today. “(He’s) got a little bit of Nik Lidstrom, got a skill game, got a bit of a physical game, got a good shot.”

Nurse, whose father, Richard, was a CFL wide receiver, likes the Weber comparison because that’s who he’s trying to emulate.

“I like to fashion my game after Shea Weber,” he said. “I watch him a lot and his ability to have an impact not only in the defensive zone, but in the offensive zone by just keeping it simple, I think that’s something every defenseman needs to do.”

Another defenseman Nurse admired was Chris Pronger.

When he was asked if loving the Devils meant he didn’t like the Flyers, he said, “I loved Pronger, though. For me, I have favorite players, I follow them wherever they play.”

From talking to his uncle, Nurse, knows Philadelphia is “not an easy town” to play in.

“But Toronto’s not an easy town to play in either,” he said. “When you get in those markets where the fans really care, no matter how you play good or bad they’re going to let you know. That’s the type of atmosphere that you want to be in, a town where everyone cares about the team.”

Nurse said he’d “be lying” if he said he hasn’t wondered where he’ll end up.

“At the same time, it doesn’t matter to me where I go,” he said. “Whatever is going to take place is going to take place. For me, it’s my job to get ready for whatever situation I’m put in.”

Nurse seems to have a realistic view of whether he’ll be ready to play in the NHL in 2013-14. He knows he still has some developing – and growing – to do, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t think he can do it.

“I think that’s anyone’s goal that goes through this,” he said. “You want to play (in the NHL) as fast as possible. With that said, I’m 6-4 and just almost getting to 200 pounds now. Mother Nature hasn’t really taken her toll yet on me, so it’s going to take some time.”

***I spoke with Lamoriello briefly today about the draft. I haven’t gotten much out of him lately about free agents. On the draft, he said “there’s a lot of talk” as far teams looking to move up in the first round or move back, but “I don’t think there’s any more or less talk (than other years).”

There has been some talk that Carolina might be willing to move the No. 5 pick and Calgary GM Jay Feaster, who is really trying to shake up his team, is possibly looking to move No. 6 in the right deal.

Lamoriello said after having more draft preparations with Conte and the scouting staff this week, the team is “comfortable” with the player it believes it will get at No. 9 if it stays in that spot.

“But decisions can be changed,” he said. “We can move up if we can. We can move down if we felt comfortable. There’s nothing in cement, but we like where we’re at. That doesn’t mean we might not change.”

Lamoriello was on Hockey Night in Canada Radio today and actually was a little more open in the interview than he has been with me on the free agency front.

When asked about what his priority is right now with the free agency about to start next week (potential free agents can start talking to other teams at noon on July 3 and sign with them starting at noon on July 5), he replied, “Certainly the priority right now to try simultaneously while you’re getting ready for the draft to conclude (re-signing) some of our free agents. That’s the priority. As far as the restricted free agents, there’s time for that. But those are the two priorities in no order and the time given is as it comes.”

When asked about the importance of David Clarkson to the team, Lamoriello replied, “There’s no question David has gotten better and better and improved over the years and brings a certain dimension. So we’re certainly going to do everything we can within reason to do right by him and hopefully he does right by us, but we’re going to make every effort to sign him.”

Lamoriello wasn’t asked specifically about any of the other potential free agents.

As for the team in general and upgrading it after the team missed the playoffs, Lamoriello noted that players didn’t “step up” when others were injured but also said it was important not to overreact.

“You have to be very careful that look at it as everything is wrong,” he said. “I like the core and we’ll just try and supplement it. We’ll certainly be as active as we can be at the given time.”

***As part of the draft weekend, there will be a prospects camp Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at the Prudential Center practice rink that will be open to the public, but seating is limited. Scheduled to attend are top prospects Seth Jones, Nate MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin and Nurse and former Devils Ken Danekyo, Grant Marshall, Jim Dowd and Bruce Driver.

About

TOM GULITTI has covered the New Jersey Devils for The Record since 2002. Prior to that, he covered the New York Rangers for four years. Gulitti joined The Record in 1998 after six years at The North Jersey Herald News. He graduated from Binghamton University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric-Literature.